Book review

As those who have lost a loved one know, it is not uncommon to suddenly sense that they are near. Whether through a particularly powerful dream or a whiff of their scent that comes from out of nowhere, many people have an unexplainable “knowing” that they have been visited by the spirit of their beloved parent, sibling, child or friend.

Even though millions of people have had what might be called a spiritual visitation, most of us are still reluctant to fully believe our loved ones are available to us, even after their death.

When her mother was diagnosed with cancer, author Kathy Curtis believed the journey they would take together as a result would be their last. After her death 3 months later, the final memories Curtis shared in letters to her mother were cathartic and healing, after which she put her pen down, thinking that was all she needed to write.

Then came the visitations. The first 3 were in the form of dreams that felt like more than dreams. In the early days after her mother’s death, Curtis longed for just one more hour with her to ease the ache her loss had created. The dreams gave her the sense that she really had seen her mother again, and that she could go forward with renewed energy to deal with her loss.

One night Curtis awakened to the smell of her mother’s perfume. It was so powerful that she got up and walked down the hall to see if it would go away. It stayed with her as she walked around the house and returned to her bedroom. Only after she crawled back into bed did the scent dissipate.

Other visitations came in the form of creatures such as cardinals and butterflies coming close enough to touch. In another experience, Curtis asked for her mother’s help finding a ring that had been lost for 1 ½ years, and within minutes, the ring appeared.

After ten years of observing these experiences and speaking with others about theirs, Curtis felt compelled to write a book that might give others permission to experience their loved ones’ visitations as the healing opportunities they can be. It is her belief that accepting these experiences as real can even begin to change our attitudes about death.

Through intimate letters Kathy Curtis wrote to her mother after her death, followed by her mother's “responses” 10 years later, the invisible ink that flows between them lets readers experience the ongoing spiritual nature of their mother-daughter relationship. This heartfelt glimpse into the journey of love, loss, grief and spiritual awakening that a mother and daughter shared is thought-provoking, comforting and inspiring.